<b> Bold Interactive Inc.

For those of you who have been waiting with bated breath to find out which laptop will replace my crashed Gateway, I have an announcement to make. After researching my options, I finally decided on a Dell Inspiron 1420. The notebook got solid reviews from CNet, PC Mag, and Notebook Review.

My 1420 will be pimped out with an integrated webcam and a pink, yes PINK, coat of paint. Hey, I work for Bold Interactive. I couldn’t go with a boring old black or white. It’s not a convertible tablet PC, but I decided against tablets because I think it would slow down my notetaking.

Unfortunately, the estimated shipping date for my 1420 is September 12. I knew this was a possibility because Dell is having a hard time finding bargain CPUs. There are plenty of frustrated Dell customers, some of whom have canceled their orders because their laptops aren’t shipped by the estimated date.

And I’ll give Dell a microscopic nugget of credit. They maintain a corporate blog with comments enabled. Hardly any of the comments are positive.

Why would Dell open themselves up to such harsh criticism on their own web space? I have a few speculations:

1. They can listen to consumers. By providing a platform for consumers to voice their opinion, Dell improves its customer relations. Not censoring negative comments is a key component of genuine and transparent conversation marketing.
2. They can address concerns. Dell has admitted, at least with their XPS M1330, that there are significant delays.  They also informed readers when they fixed an error in Linux pricing. Then there was the time they responded to well-publicized criticism from a former employee.
3. They have more control than with earned media. Distributing press releases and pitching reporters leaves their message to be interpreted by third parties. Often news stories will contain snippets and quotes that may or may not tell the whole story. Blogging helps Dell give context and the opportunity to explain themselves fully.
4. Blogging is quicker and less expensive than advertising. Hosting a blog is cheap, especially when compared to television, print, and even online advertising. It’s also quick. Write a post and publish it. With advertising, you have to prepare the creative, and then going through the buying process.

While all of that is impressive, especially in the light of some companies’ fears of foraying into social media, it doesn’t get my Dell shipped to me any sooner.

I chatted with a Gateway representative to see what the estimated shipping date for the 15.4 inch NX570X would be (with similar configurations), and he said 8/30/07 - that’s two weeks sooner sans pink and integrated webcam.

Then he said if I upgrated to a DVD burner it would be shipped 8/17/07. That makes me feel like people who pay more get faster service. If that’s true, it’s nothing that should be revealed to the consumer. But in these new days of transparency, you might want to revisit your company policies and terms of service.

This is the age of conversation marketing. Are you bold enough to handle it?

Technorati Tags: conversation marketing, dell, gateway, corporate blogging